The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-07-23

The next morning mt an early hour Major
| Samuel McColloch came with forty mounted
men TO the relief OF the garrison, from Shot
| Creek. The gates were thrown open, and all OF
the soldiers, though hotly pressed bv the In
dians, entered in safety, except McColloch.
| The Indians managed to separate him from his
men, He turned and giilopcd swiftly in the
direction Of Wheeling Hill. The Indians
knew McCooch as deadly foe to their race,
and they particularly desired to capture him
alive, in order that they might burn him ut the
| stake and heap other torturcs and indignites
upon him.
They pursued him quickly and ieetly. At
last he reached the top OF the hill, and turning
to the left, darted along the ridge with the in.
tcntion of escaping back to Short Creek. He
had not gone five hundred yards in that dircc.
tiOn before he came in contact with Il second
body of Indians. He had to turn and go back
over his own trail, in the hope OF finding some
other place OF escape. But he had scarcely
turned back ere he met his original pursuers,
| who had gained the top of the ridge by this
time, and third party was pressing up the
hill on his right. He was now surrounded on
three sides by lndians determined TO take him
alive, and ON the remaining side WAS u vertical
prccipicc, one hundred anu fifty feet high with
Wheeling Creek ut its base. He paused for an
instant He looked down the dizzy clT ut his
feet. and his head swan. The distance
to the bottom WAS frightful-a person on
the dome OF the State House at Columbus
would not have Il leap to reach the ground more
than twenty-five feet longer than the that
McColloch contemplated. He saw little chance
for life before him and nothing but death by
horrible torture behind him, so he urged his
horse to the brink OF the cliff and made the leap
and he made it in safety. The Indians were
baiiled and dazcd Before they recovered from
their surprise McCOlloch was a mile away and
they gave up the pursuit and the same day they
raised the siege and departed from Fort Henry,
leaving the victory with its brave defenders.
My informant. Captain Clark, is n nephew Of
John McIntire, the founder OF GAINESVILLE Nc
Intire had u daughter who was born In Ism
McIntire's daughter was educated In Phiadcl-
phia and was engaged to an Irish Lord ut tho
time she died, in 1890. The picture Of her was
taken from u miniature made while she was at
school in Philadelphia This daughter was Nc
Intre's only child, and Mt her death the city be.
came his heir in the sense that it proitcd by his
generosity.
The town of Springfield, on the west bank Of
the Muskingum river, opposite GAINESVILLE, was
laid out by DIR. Increase Mathews, General
Rufus Putnam and Levi Whipp,e. in 1872.
Twelve years later the name Of the town was
changed to that OF Putnam rs u mark OF respect
to General Rufus Putnam.
DR.. Increase Mathews was cultivated gen.
tleman from Baintree, Mass, and he was joined
in the new settlement by John Mathews, an old
surveyor of the Ohio Company, whose wide
SpTcuu tnrllilnS escape from tne lu-
dans are matters OF common knowledge.
John Mathews was one of the most useful
men OF early times. He was familiar with the
whole Of the Ohio Company's purchase, and
was very active man OF affairs. He erected
grist mills ut MOxahaa, and had fruit farm
near them. In his leisure moments he surveyed
land, and he was called upon to lay out the
town of Coshocton.
DIR. Mathews was man who was Of vast
service to the people of the upper Muskingum
Valley. For Il long time he was the only ply
sic;an available. He had, too, the faculty Of
drawing good men around him. and the town
OF Springfield became known for the high char
actcr ofits people. Springfield had the strong
sober traits of New England village, and
these moral qualities were expressed in 1893
when an emancipation society was formed to
hasten the abolition of slavery. Its members
had to face ut times both abuse and scorn, but
they had right on their side and faith to lead
them on till success loomed before them when
John Brown, martyr and prophet Of the cause,
stood on the scaIold, and nll that was eccentric
in the old mans life Strengthened on the silver
chord that let him down into the bosom OF the
| valley. as
One of the old GAINESVILLE families that are
widely known is the Buckingham family.
In 1904 EbencZer Buckingham came as young
man to Ohio. He was engaged In surveying for
| u while with John Mathews, and was, said Mr..
| Edward Mathews to me recently, ~ man OF
marked ability, who acquired knowledge with
wonderful facility"